Secrets and Scrabble

First in an adorable new series! Ellery Page, aspiring screenwriter, Scrabble champion, and guy-with-worst-luck-in-the-world-when-it-comes-to-dating, is ready to make a change. So when he learns he's inherited both a failing bookshop and a falling-down mansion in the quaint seaside village of Pirate's Cove in Rhode Island, it's full steam ahead! Sure enough, the village is charming, its residents amusingly eccentric, and widowed police chief Jack Carson is decidedly yummy (though possibly as straight as he is stern). However, the bookstore is failing, the mansion is falling down, and there's that little drawback of finding rival bookseller-and head of the unwelcoming-committee-Trevor Maples dead during the annual Buccaneer Days celebration. Still, it could be worse. And once Police Chief Carson learns Trevor was killed with the cutlass hanging over the door of Ellery's bookstore, it is.

Ellery Page is back-and in hot water again! Unlike everyone else in Pirate's Cove, Ellery Page, aspiring screenwriter, reigning Scrabble champion, and occasionally clueless owner of the village's only mystery bookstore, is anything but thrilled when famed horror author Brandon Abbott announces he's purchased legendary Skull House and plans to live there permanently. Ellery and Brandon have history. Their relationship ended badly, and the last thing Ellery wants is a chance to patch things up-especially when his relationship with Police Chief Jack Carson is just getting interesting. But then, maybe Brandon isn't all that interested in getting back together either, because he seems a lot more interested in asking questions about the bloodstained past of his new home than discussing a possible future with Ellery. What is Brandon really up to? Ellery will have to unscramble that particular puzzle posthaste. Because after his former flame disappears following their loud and public argument, Ellery seems to be Police Chief Carson's first-and only-suspect.

Love is in the Salt Sea Airand So is Murder! Ellery Page, aspiring screenwriter, reigning Scrabble champion, and occasionally clueless owner of the villages only mystery bookstore, the Crows Nest, is both flattered and bemused when hes invited to the annual Marauders Masquerade, the best and biggest social event of the season in the quaint seaside village of Pirates Cove, Rhode Island. The event is hosted by the wealthy Marguerite Bloodworth-Ainsley, a descendant of the famed pirate Tom Blood. Ellery doesnt even know Mrs. Bloodworth-Ainsleynor, it turns out, does Mrs. Bloodworth-Ainsley know him. But Marguerites son, Julian, wants to know Ellery. Julian, handsome, rich, and engaging, is a huge mystery buff. In fact, hes bought quite a few books at the Crows Nest bookstore, but never quite worked up the nerve to ask Ellery out. As his relationship with Police Chief Carson seems to be dead in the water, Ellery is grateful for a little flattering attention from the villages most eligible bachelor, but any hopes of romance hit the shoals when Julian is accused of murdering his mothers unlikable second husband during the Masquerades annual ghost hunt in the familys spooky cemetery.

Murder Stalks the Cobbled Streets of Pirates Cove After elderly recluse Juliet Blackwell suffers a mysterious fall in her spooky old mansion, she insists the ghost of long-dead pirate Rufus Blackwell has come to avenge himself on the last member of his treacherous clan. Bookshop owner and occasional amateur sleuth Ellery Page doesnt believe in ghosts, but he knows fear when he sees it, and its clear to him his eccentric customer is genuinely terrified. Who or what is haunting Miss Blackwell, what, if anything, does it have to do with mysterious goings-on at the Salty Dog puband why is any of it Ellerys problem? According to Police Chief Jack Carson, its not Ellerys problem, and just maybe Ellery should stop asking awkward questions before its too late.

Dead Men Tell No Tales Mystery Bookshop owner Ellery Page and Police Chief Jack Carson are diving for the legendary pirate galleon Blood Red Rose when they discover an old-fashioned divers suit, water-damaged and encrusted with barnacles. Further examination reveals that the twentieth century suit contains a twenty-first century body. Who was the mysterious diver? No one seems to be missing from the quaint and cozy town of Pirates Cove. Was the victim really diving for pirates gold? And if not, what exactly did he do to earn that bullet hole in his skull?

Fakes, folk music, and ghost fires When legendary folk singer Lara Fairplay agrees to make her comeback debut at Pirates Coves annual maritime music festival, everyone in the quaint seaside village is delightedincluding mystery bookstore owner and sometimes amateur sleuth, Ellery Page. Better yet, Lara is scheduled to perform a recently discovered piece of music attributed to The Father of American Music, Stephen Foster, which will hopefully bring large crowds and a lot of business. Several mysterious accidents later, Ellery is less delighted as his suspicion grows that someone plans to silence the celebrity songbird forever.

We only see the things on the surface When Pirate Coves favorite mystery bookstore owner and sometimes-amateur sleuth Ellery Page discovers a vintage diving collection bag full of antique gold coins tucked away for safe-keeping in the stockroom of the Crows Nest, it sets off a series of increasingly dangerous events, culminating in murder.

And Then There WereSome At long last, the renovations of stately Captains Seat are mostly complete! To celebrate, mystery bookseller and sometimes amateur sleuth Ellery Page decides to throw a house-warming party and invite his New York theater friends to stay for the weekend. When a freak snowstorm leaves the house party cut off from the village of Pirates Cove, theres nothing to do but drink, reminisce, and play games. Or so Ellery thinksuntil he finds himself trapped in a real-life game of Clue.